A Stray
by xXPaintingRealityXx
Summary: Is it even possible for things to turn out the way that it did? He didn't even think that Nekozawa could do anything with this kind of effect. What's so special about that Belzenef doll? And why was he transformed into a puppy?  Remake  original- ibanana
1. Chapter 1

I'm back! I bet you're stoked! Just kidding; I'm not that conceited.

Well, here's another story for my comeback to my beloved audience. Actually, it's a remake that I've wanted to create for a while now. So, sit back, relax, and enjoy the show.

BTW, this whole plot (except for where the original author stopped) isn't mine. I just added a few things here and there and then finished up the story the way I thought it would end. I was obsessed with this. I sent the original author, ibanana, a few PMs, asking for permission to write this. But they didn't answer me back. So, I just wrote this. XD

And in the disclaimer, I'll make sure to tell everyone that I do not own the original plot line to this fic. So, please don't get mad at me for using another's plot! And a big sorry to ibanana if you do not appreciate this. Please tell me if you want this story down if you are reading this now. I will do as you please. But, until then, please enjoy the story!

**DISCLAIMER: **I do NOT own Ouran High School Host Club. I also do not own this idea. It originally came from and author named ibanana.

**A Stray**

~Chapter 1~

Haruhi made her way back from the grocery store, juggling the grocery bags and her umbrella all at once. She tried her best not to get wet. She wouldn't want to get sick. She has school tomorrow… but it was the last day before summer break.

Haruhi sighed. If it was already summer, why in the world is it raining? The world may never know.

She turned the corner, dodging the extra water that the leaves of overhanging trees gave off. She didn't feel like getting pounded with extra rain water.

All of a sudden, Haruhi's ears picked up a noise. She swore she heard something following her. She spun around quickly, trying to catcher her pursuer off guard. But, she saw nothing; just street and rain.

Haruhi turned back around and shook her head. The rain must be getting to her.

She continued towards her home, wondering if her father were to come home that night or stay at his work until early morning. After all, they did need help at the Tranny Bar.

Haruhi shrugged. She'd call him when she got home.

And again, she heard it: the distinct, light padding of feet behind her. But, the odd thing was that it didn't sound… human.

Haruhi spun around, almost falling over her own feet, and looked around once more. And, finally, she decided to look down at the ground.

And she was met with a different (and adorable) sight. Dripping at her feet as it shivered from the cold, was the cutest Golden Retriever puppy she'd ever laid her eyes on.

'Oh, no,' she thought. 'We do not need a pet. Especially in this economy!' And as it shivered and let out the smallest of sneezes, Haruhi felt her resistance to un-needed pets crumble.

She kneeled down, putting down her groceries underneath the small halo of her umbrella. And she carefully plucked the puppy from the watered down ground and pet it to calm its nerves.

"Shh," Haruhi cooed, petting the puppy softly as it started to struggle. "I'm not going to hurt you. It's okay."

The puppy visibly calmed as it cuddled into Haruhi's warmth as she opened up her jacket and placed the puppy in front of her stomach. She picked up her groceries, tried to get a hold on her umbrella, and stood up, supporting the puppy with her free arm.

Quickly, Haruhi went home, trying her best to keep her, and the puppy dry. Well, as dry as they could get with the already soaked puppy cuddling into her abdomen.

She struggled to open the door, her hands overly full with all of her things. It was already bad enough that she had to climb up the stairs of her apartment building. But now, she had to unlock her door? The world could be so cruel.

Somehow, by some great miracle, Haruhi was able to unlock the door. She stumbled inside, quickly placing her groceries down in the kitchen and putting her umbrella down, making sure not to get anything wet. With no other place to put her umbrella, she put her wet umbrella in the sink as not to soak the floor or any piece of furniture. And as she felt the puppy shiver, she took the puppy towards her bathroom, running a nice, warm bath.

As the bath filled, she placed the puppy in, grabbing soaps that could cleanse the puppy. And as the time in the bath wore on, the puppy stopped shivering and listened to Haruhi's soft and gentle commands, leaning into her comforting touch.

While Haruhi was drying the puppy off, she realized something. What in the world was its name? She already knew its gender (because it was pretty obvious), but she couldn't just continue calling or referring to the animal as 'the puppy'.

"What am I going to call you?" Haruhi muttered, staring at his big, violet eyes.

And, as she stared deep into the small pup's orbs, she could hear the faintest whisper of a name.

"T-Tamaki…?" Haruhi repeated after the voice that had resounded in her head.

It seemed like everything snapped into place as the puppy wagged his tail in pure joy.

"Tamaki, huh?" Haruhi muttered, putting the towel away. "Like that guy that went missing?"

Haruhi turned to see the puppy staring at her contently… if they could do that. She wasn't sure yet. She'd never had a pet, let alone a puppy.

"I guess I'll call you that," Haruhi smiled, picking 'Tamaki' up and off of the floor.

The puppy, or Tamaki really, wagged his tail once more.

Haruhi made her way to the kitchen. And as she entered, she placed Tamaki on the ground, grabbing her groceries to put away in their proper place.

Tamaki sat out of her way in the corner of the kitchen, watching Haruhi's every move. She found it odd that Tamaki acted as if he could actually understand everything and anything that was going on around him. It was as if he were human…

Haruhi scoffed, chucking a bit. There's no way that could be true. He was just a puppy; nothing more, nothing less. And there was no way to change that. Not like she wanted to. No, she's just a normal person. She doesn't believe in that stuff… at least, that's what she thinks…

No, she knows it.

Yeah.

Haruhi sighed when she was finally finished. Wow, she was sighing a lot today, Haruhi noticed. She wondered just what was making her sigh like that. She shrugged. It was irrelevant. She didn't need to know why.

"You must be hungry," Haruhi uttered, pulling out some left overs that she had in the fridge.

As she made some food for herself, she made a bowl for Tamaki. Of course the puppy could eat this right? It wouldn't make him sick, right? Haruhi hoped not. And when Tamaki started eating the food after she placed it down next to the edge of the room, she knew he'd be fine. She didn't know why. But that was irrelevant as well. She could live life without knowing.

Haruhi chewed on some rice, watching as Tamaki awkwardly ate his food. It was as if, Haruhi realized, that he had no idea how he was supposed to consume the food. It was as if he didn't even know how to use his own mouth. Wow. What was she coming up with now?

Without even noticing until it was done, Haruhi felt Tamaki nudge her calf with his nose, snapping out of her thoughts.

"W-what is it?" And now she was talking to him as if he were human.

Tamaki pointed his nose to his empty bowl.

Well he sure seemed to know exactly what she was saying.

"Oh, you're done." It was then that she realized she had finished her own food as well.

And Haruhi started to clean up the dishes used for the two of them to eat. She couldn't shake the thought that she was forgetting something. And when the home phone rang for her to hear, Haruhi finally remembered exactly what she had forgotten.

Wiping her hands on her jeans to get them dried, Haruhi quickly made her way to the phone, picking it up and placing the ear piece to her ear.

"Hello?" Haruhi said.

"Haruhi, I'm going to be working late tonight," Haruhi heard her father, Ranka, say over the line.

"That's fine, Dad," Haruhi replied, looking down at the puppy tugging on the hem of her jeans.

"I just wanted to make sure my beloved daughter knew where I was so that she wouldn't worry," Ranka said. Haruhi swore that she could hear him pouting over the line.

"Oh, Dad?"

"Ranka, get over here!" someone on the other side of the line called, interrupting Haruhi.

"I have to go, Haruhi," Ranka said, already pulling the phone away from his face.

"Wait, Dad, I found a-"

"Bye Haruhi!" and all she heard was a dial tone.

Haruhi sighed in frustration. "Fine," Haruhi growled, "be that way."

Hanging up the phone, Haruhi turned towards Tamaki. He looked… weird. Haruhi's eyes widened. Does he… oh gosh.

Haruhi quickly put on her shoes and coat, grabbing her umbrella out of the sink.

"Come on, Tamaki, let's go potty," Haruhi called enthusiastically, just for the heck of it.

Tamaki awkwardly ran to the door. He must have been holding it in for quite a while if he's acting like that, Haruhi thought.

Haruhi waited as Tamaki ran towards the brush, going out of her sight.

What in the world was she thinking? Taking in a stray? Wow, she must be becoming an animal lover.

And as Tamaki came back, the cuteness of his expression making Haruhi want to coo in delight, she had to agree with herself.

Definitely an animal lover.

Haruhi lay down in her bed, freshly showered and snuggled into her warm sheets. And right beside her, curled up against the crook of her neck, was Tamaki, the tiny Golden Retriever that she had found on her way home.

He was fidgeting a bit, trying to get comfortable but stay warm against her neck. As if sensing his uneasiness, Haruhi reached her hand up and scratched Tamaki behind his ear. He seemed to hesitate as if he were wondering if it was a good idea to get too close to her. But after feeling her comforting touch, he seemed to settle down.

Haruhi continued to pet him until she was sure that he was already asleep. And feeling her eyelids drop, she decided to leave the fact that she needed to find out how to care for Tamaki while she was at school. It wasn't as if she could take him with her…

Could she?

**~Chapter 1 End~**

So, yeah. It's a little different. But, it's still, somewhat, on the plot line. I'm just going to change a few more things and, since the story wasn't finished, I'll just add my own ending to it.

Thank you for reading! But, make sure to drop a review, ne?

~xXPaintingRealityXx logging off! :D


	2. Chapter 2

**DISCLAIMER: **I do NOT own OHSHC, nor do I own its characters. It all belongs to Bisco Hatori. I also do not own the idea of this story. It belongs to ibanana.

**A Stray**

~Chapter 2~

Haruhi sweat dropped. How in the world did she end up walking down the halls of her school with Tamaki, the little Golden Retriever puppy that she had found, trailing behind her? Oh wait, she knew _exactly_ what happened.

That morning she had been woken up by the sound of her father having a mental break down, shouting profanities and about how he would save his 'precious daughter' from the evil beast that had been trying to wake her up by nudging her with its nose.

She had had to explain to her father that she had taken the puppy in from the rain. And he had just replied with an 'oh, okay!' and ran off.

Haruhi sighed just from thinking about it. That was very annoying.

What also happened was that her father told her that he wouldn't be able to watch Tamaki and that the neighbors were out as well. So, she ended up getting some permission from her teachers and principal at school to be able to attend school and bring her new puppy with her. She was that good of a student; she knew.

Honestly, Haruhi thought as she made her way down the hall, she (or rather Tamaki) was attracting more stares than she had received for singing in class and having the rumor spread around.

Well, at least that rumor is buried underneath this one… right?

Haruhi finally got to her class, her friends rushing around her just to take a look at the little puppy placed gently on her lap.

"Haruhi! Where'd you get that puppy? He's so cute!" a girl in her class, Sayoko, gushed, eyes sparkling.

"He's a stray. I found him while I was walking home from shopping yesterday," Haruhi answered.

Haruhi was bombarded by many more questions following that. But, everyone knew to step away when Haruhi's best friend, Mei, came pushing through the crowd.

"What the hell is that, Haruhi?" Mei asked, pointing at Tamaki.

"A puppy I found," Haruhi said. "And he's not a thing."

Mei rolled her eyes. "Don't tell me; you're becoming an animal lover."

Haruhi sighed. "I wondered that too."

Plopping down into the desk beside Haruhi's, Mei placed her bag on the floor. Mei grabbed a strand of Haruhi's short, boy-cut hair.

"I still can't believe that you cut it," Mei muttered, trying to find good hairstyles that would be perfect for Haruhi.

Haruhi sighed. She'd ignore Mei for now.

_He ran down the hallway, trying to get away from an ominous figure. He didn't know what it was, but he definitely didn't want to find out._

"_Tamaki, let's go!" a pair of identical voices shouted, coming from equally identical boys._

_They were ahead of the blonde haired, violet eyed boy, already turning the corner of the corridor with his other close friends._

_A few seconds later, something changed. He didn't know how, he didn't know why, but all of a sudden, he was much… smaller?_

_He noticed he was using four limbs to run now, the feeling of fuzziness engulfing his skin. He tongue slipped out of his mouth as he ran. And then, he realized what had happened when he looked into a puddle when he was finally far away from Ouran Academy… but also far from his friends: he turned into… a puppy?_

Haruhi felt the puppy in her lap twitch. He had fallen asleep as soon as class had started. She was starting to wonder if she should have carried him here other than having him walk on his own. Well, having him walk did tire him out and make him fall asleep for classes. She guessed it was better this way.

But then, there wasn't really any class at all right now. It was the last day of school before summer break. Who in their right mind would make them do work? And because of this, she was absolutely, undeniably bored.

Her classmates were still crowded around her, cooing and 'aww'-ing at Tamaki who was still sleeping in her lap. She was getting tired of all this un-needed attention. They were going to wake Tamaki!

"Do you all mind leaving?" Haruhi asked as politely as she could. "I don't want to make Tamaki wake up."

"Oh, so it has a name now," Mei let out, exasperated.

"What else am I supposed to call him?" Haruhi challenged, raising an eyebrow.

"Don't. Just give it to the pound and they'll care for him."

Oh, yeah. Why hadn't she thought of that?

Once again (for the millionth time in Haruhi's book), Tamaki twitched in Haruhi's lap. She was beginning to suspect something. What was wrong with him?

When Haruhi looked down, she noticed the scared expression on the puppy's face… if that could really happen. Wow, she seems to be thinking that a lot.

Haruhi shook her head. Problem at hand, she reminded herself. Focus on that.

Slowly, as not to startle the puppy out of sleep, Haruhi placed a small, comforting pet upon Tamaki's back, trying to settle him down. It didn't take too long for the puppy to wake up after that. And it startled Haruhi when he jumped. But as she pet him, he calmed down, cuddling into her stomach.

As the girls in her class cooed, the bell rang, signaling break to begin. And soon, Haruhi found herself filing out of the class with all the others, Tamaki cradled in her arms.

Noticing Tamaki's excitement when they came into the field where the boys were playing baseball, Haruhi let him down, grabbing a baseball that wasn't being used. She walked into the field after Tamaki, not paying attention to the mistake that she was making.

Out of nowhere (at least to her), a baseball came right towards her, hitting her upside her head.

She fell onto the floor, hard. And face first too.

Tamaki galloped towards her, obviously worried for the girl who had rescued him. Whining, he lapped at her cheek, trying to revive the girl from her knock out.

"Haruhi!"

Tamaki (still in his puppy form), turned towards the sound and noticed a boy running to aid the girl in which saved him. And Tamaki couldn't deny that he felt jealous… but just a bit.

"Haruhi, are you okay?" The dark haired boy asked, helping Haruhi up.

"Yeah, just peachy," Haruhi groaned, sarcasm still in her voice even though she was just maimed with a ball.

"You don't feel light headed?" he asked, gray eyes glittering with worry.

"I'm fine, Arai," so that was what the boy's name was. "Seriously, it's not like I'm going to die… Sorry, stupid thing to joke about."

Haruhi, with the aid of Arai, stood up. And this was to Tamaki's great disappointment. He wished he had his own body back so that he could repay Haruhi for all the trouble he put her through. And he didn't want to let any other person touch her.

Wow, that sounded possessive.

Tamaki watched in envy as Haruhi and Arai spoke. He was already beginning to curse the name. And then, a smart idea sparked his mind. He could just beg Haruhi to play! He was a puppy after all.

Happily, Tamaki used his maw to tug on the top of Haruhi's sock. And when she looked down, he took the 'playing position' and wagged his tail.

He couldn't help but bark in victory when he saw Haruhi's lips twist into a cute grin and she motioned to leave Arai's side.

They started through the field, Haruhi chuckling to herself. Tamaki was really cute, wasn't he?

She threw the ball for him once they got far enough into the field. Tamaki kept on coming back with the ball, ecstatic and wagging his tail fast. He couldn't wait to play more, thought Haruhi. But what he was really thinking was that he wanted to keep Haruhi's attention on him for this whole time.

Tamaki became over joyed when he heard Haruhi's cute laugh from a few yards behind him as he slid on the grass and tumbled over, just trying to catch the ball. Quickly, he got up, got the ball, and ran towards her, dropping the ball at the last second just to hop onto Haruhi's lap and to shower her with sloppy kisses. Haruhi's giggles made him want to giggle with her. Too bad it was impossible.

Just as Haruhi threw the ball again, free time was over and the middle school students rushed into their classes.

"C'mon, Tamaki!" Haruhi called, jogging the slightest bit while patting her leg, trying to lure Tamaki to follow her.

Tamaki wished he could scoff as well. Do dogs really have such a short and odd attention span to make humans treat them this way? Because if they didn't, he knew exactly how they felt… but he did like the attention.

He picked the ball up with his mouth (he'd gotten used to it), and ran for Haruhi, trotting beside her as they made their way through the halls. Just as Haruhi placed Tamaki on her lap after sitting, the bell rang.

"Hello class," the teacher said, making her way to the center of the call room. "Today is the last day of middle school and you all are going to go to high school soon. Now, do you all remember that contest the school had to determine which student from this school will be able to get into Ouran Academy?"

At this, Haruhi gasped. She'd taken that test for the contest. And she really wanted to win; so bad. If she got into that school, that'd lead to an awesome college. And that would mean to fulfill her dream of becoming a lawyer just like her late mother.

And this obviously caught Tamaki's attention. He'd been going there before this freak accident happened, turning his gorgeous body into that of a puppy's. He still had no idea how he was going to get out of this mess. But as he looked up at Haruhi's hopeful face, he mentally grinned. He could wait.

"Well, the results are in," the teacher continued.

As Tamaki skimmed the room, there were hopeful looks on a few faces, including Haruhi's.

So she must have entered the contest, Tamaki thought. She should win. She deserves it.

Picking up the envelope, the teacher opened up the flap, unfolded the paper, and grinned. She looked up. "Congratulations, Fujioka. You made it."

All of a sudden, an out of character cheer came out of Haruhi's mouth. And when she noticed she did this, she covered her mouth and blushed, laughs rising from the mouths of her peers as well as 'good job'-s and 'you're so cute!'-s.

The teacher handed Haruhi the envelope and paper so that she could take a look at it. And Tamaki made a quick skim through the letter to make it look as if he were just a curious puppy who had no clue what was written on the sheet of paper.

Haruhi smiled. She made it! She actually did it! She'd worked so hard the whole week before studying her tush off and she actually rose to the occasion and passed with flying colors! She had the only perfect score! She couldn't wait to tell her father!

Now the only thing to worry about was the uniform…

Tamaki was impressed. A perfect score, eh? That was really amazing. It, he thought, is real hard to be able to get a perfect score on the entrance exam to any prestigious academy; especially to Ouran. She must be a smart one, Tamaki thought (of the obvious).

Tamaki was annoyed. Not jealous, he told himself, annoyed. He couldn't be jealous; not at this early stage.

But he couldn't stop the slight growl that erupted from the back of his throat. Luckily, it was silent… well, silent enough. Haruhi didn't hear it. After all, she was too busy talking to Arai.

Tamaki rolled his eyes. At least he has ONE sign of disrespect that he could use. He really doesn't like Arai. He's always taking away the time that Haruhi could spend with him. Arai doesn't deserve her time.

Arai, as of now, decided to walk Haruhi (and Tamaki) home. And Tamaki being Tamaki did not appreciate the close proximity between the two young teenagers. He didn't like the way Arai was looking at Haruhi either. He didn't even deserve to lay his eyes on the beautiful girl.

But Tamaki did. He deserved it more than Arai, at least. Sure, he thought that Haruhi was a boy the first time he saw her making her way down the street in guys' clothes and lugging along groceries in the rain. But once she put him in her jacket, he had no doubt.

Tamaki thought himself lucky; if he were human, he would be red by now.

Tamaki did his best to keep up with the two, dodging the ongoing feet of other pedestrians on the street. And Haruhi had obviously noticed this. She kept on bringing her gaze back to Tamaki no matter how much Arai called for her attention.

And her concern won her over, for not a moment too soon, she stooped over to save Tamaki from being separated from her.

Tamaki felt glad. As Haruhi pet him but continued her conversation with Arai, he knew that Haruhi was paying attention to him. After all, who could resist a cute puppy nuzzling into your neck?

**~Chapter 2 End~**


	3. Chapter 3

**DISCLAIMER: **I do NOT own Ouran High School Host Club, nor do I own its characters. They belong to Bisco Hatori. I also do not own the original plot of this story. That belongs to ibanana.

**A Stray**

**~Chapter 3~**

Haruhi tried her best to be the quietest she could. She wanted to make sure that when she left her home that morning, Tamaki would still be asleep. She wanted to be able to get out and hang up some 'found' posters all over town. After all, this was a stray dog. The owner(s) of Tamaki must be missing him.

So, she got dressed into pants and a loose fitting shirt and went into the living room. She grabbed the stack of papers that she had created yesterday- with much hardship due to Tamaki ripping up any one that he was able to get a hold on- and copied multiple times at a copy shop. She had placed it them in a place where Tamaki couldn't reach but they were still in plain sight and wouldn't take too much noise or hassle to reach: the coffee table in front of the couches.

She had noticed the disappointment in Tamaki's violet eyes when she had placed the papers on the coffee table. He could also hint some embarrassment. She had no idea how the hell she noticed that. But she did. And it was very evident as well.

Slipping on her shoes, Haruhi grabbed her stack of papers and some duct tape. She didn't have any staples for her staplers. She ran out.

Just as Haruhi was about to slip out of the door, her father's bedroom door burst open.

"Good morning my beautiful daughter!" Ranka said (screamed), loudly walking (stomping) his way to the living room (past Haruhi's room where Tamaki was sleeping).

And just like that, Haruhi found Tamaki at her feet, looking up at her with curious eyes. Haruhi sighed. She was so close…

"Dad," Haruhi sighed, exasperated, "you're too loud in the morning."

"I'm sorry, Haruhi, were you trying to sneak out?" Ranka asked.

"Yeah. So I could pin these up. I needed to leave Tamaki here in order to move quicker."

"Can't you just leave him now?"

"He's going to freak out. That's why I wanted to leave while he was sleeping."

Tamaki whined. Haruhi felt bad about saying this in front of him. Getting down on her knees, she petted Tamaki on his head, giving him an apologetic look.

"Why would he freak out?"

Haruhi raised an eyebrow at her father. "He's been following me around non-stop ever since I brought him in, if you haven't noticed."

"Well, it's your fault for being so nice," Ranka pouted.

Haruhi sighed. "I'm going now."

Picking up Tamaki, she turned back to the door. But, before she closed it, she gave her father a knowing look. "Now don't mess anything up while I'm gone. I remember last time…"

"It was an accident!"

"That I'm never going to get over," Haruhi replied. "I'm off. See you later, Dad."

At this, Tamaki was amused.

Haruhi sighed. Putting those fliers up with a puppy running around at your feet isn't the easiest thing that Haruhi's ever done. To be honest, it was epically difficult. You might ask how. But you will never understand unless you're in a situation where there is a puppy that seems to be thoroughly infatuated with you and he seems to be trying his best to delay you in posting up those signs everywhere that deemed important.

And, for the umpteenth time, she sighed. There was only one more flier left. And there was one more place that deemed itself worthy: the local pet store. The down side is when they got there, the place was closed.

Haruhi huffed. And she was going to buy some dog food for Tamaki too.

"I guess we'll come back later," she sighed. "Let's go, Tamaki."

Haruhi started walking, looking down from time to time to see if Tamaki was still with her. As they passed an alleyway (Haruhi always passed it, so she knew it was perfectly safe), she heard a whimper coming from inside of a box.

And Tamaki being the curious seeker he is, he ran in to take a look.

"Tamaki, come back! Don't go in there!" Haruhi ran after him, trying not to let her curiosity win her over.

But Tamaki was a fast puppy –obviously- and was able to run all the way to the other end of the alley to look into the box next to the wall. He barked in glee, Haruhi noted, and wagged his tail, making cute little noises as if he were having a conversation with another.

And that he was when Haruhi noticed a small whimper coming from the box. And it was similar to the one Tamaki lets out when he's sad…

She made her way over to the box and took a peek in. She found herself face to face with a black puppy (looking strangely like Tamaki) that was peeking up from the inside of the box.

She has a heart. Haruhi knows that. And she also knows that said heart would feel a crazy guilt that would inconceivably weigh her down if she just left the cute little puppy to fend for itself as it made shelter in a soggy card board box. Haruhi sighed. This wasn't going to end well.

Stooping over, Haruhi gently picked the black puppy out of the box and held it close to her chest, shushing it as it started to panic and whimper even more.

"It's okay," she said as softly and gently as she could. Once the puppy calmed down, she turned to Tamaki. "Let's go home, Tamaki."

Tamaki tried not to mind it. He really did. After all, Kyoya is his best friend.

Kyoya suffered the same predicament that Tamaki was in: being turned into a cute and cuddly animal meant to become part of the family in houses usually with children present. But Tamaki noticed that Kyoya didn't feel the same way he did when he found Kyoya in the alley.

But now, Tamaki noticed the 'second thoughts' Kyoya started collecting.

Seriously, who didn't like it when Haruhi gave them a bath? Tamaki scoffed in his thoughts. Only people who didn't know how awesome Haruhi was, he thought, answering his own question.

As Haruhi plucked Kyoya out of the bathtub, Tamaki tried to be nice by pulling out a towel to help dry his best friend off. And when Haruhi smiled at him for that, Tamaki felt the need to pat himself on the back with his non-existent hand.

He really needs to get back to his normal form again.

When Kyoya was all fluffy from being dried off, Tamaki couldn't keep the look of amusement off of his face.

"_What?"_ Kyoya growled… literally.

"_Nothing, Kyoya! It's just nice to see you again!"_ Tamaki barked, wagging his tail.

"_I don't take it that you have seen any of the others?"_

That's right. Tamaki and Kyoya weren't the only ones who got turned into loveable domesticated pets. Four others shared their fate. And each one was just as wealthy and well off as them. Well, Tamaki was the richest. No one could even think they were close.

"_No, I haven't," _Tamaki whimpered. _"Haruhi here took me in the same evening we were transformed."_

Only then did Tamaki realize that Kyoya and him had trotted their way into the living room and were sitting beneath the coffee table.

"_Great,"_ Kyoya growled. _"How are we going to find them?"_

"_I don't know…"_ Tamaki looked off to a random corner. He seemed to be doing that a lot. _"Hey, do you even know how we were changed?"_

"_How in your right mind can you forget?"_

"_No idea. Tell me? Please?"_

If Kyoya could sigh, he would have. _"Nekozawa played a prank on us using his dark magic. He didn't mean it. At least… I hope."_

"_Why would he do that?"_

"_Go be stupid somewhere else, Tamaki."_

Tamaki felt the urge to pout. But seeing as that is impossible for him, he settled for the puppy equivalent to it. He folded his ears down.

And at this time, Haruhi walked in.

And she took it the wrong way.

Haruhi was utterly confused. She thought the two got along fine. At least, that was before. Now, as she made her way into the living room, she got a peek underneath her coffee table and noticed Kyoya growling and Tamaki shying away from him, ears folded back.

"What's wrong you two?" Haruhi asked, the two swiveling to look at her once they heard her voice.

Tamaki barked happily and ran up to Haruhi. Giggling, she picked the playful puppy up and scratched him behind his ear.

"_You don't know how great this feels, Kyoya," _Tamaki sighed, tongue falling out of his mouth.

Kyoya shook his furry little head, feigning disappointment in Tamaki's behavior. Honestly, he thought Tamaki looked (and acted) quite humorous. Ah, the things Tamaki could make Kyoya think.

"Haruhi!" Ranka sang, twirling around the living room to greet his daughter with a hug.

And just before he was about to embrace his beloved daughter, he spotted the cute black puppy looking up at him curiously from the ground. He stopped. Ranka shifted his gaze to Haruhi who was awkwardly shifting from foot to foot, refusing to meet her father's eyes.

The only thing Ranka said surprised, and slightly infuriated Haruhi: "Animal lover."

"Sh-shut up!" Haruhi turned red, placing Tamaki back down beside Kyoya. "Am not!"

"Are too!" Ranka sang. "Why else would you be taking in all these animals?"

Kyoya growled.

"Obviously you have no respect for animals," Haruhi said.

"Animal lover!" Ranka coughed.

"I heard that! And do you really think that I'm so stupid as to not know what you said when you coughed? I swear we went over this already!"

Tamaki barked, wagging his tail while watching the two quarrel with amusement.

Haruhi blinked. That bark… sounded like a laugh…

She shook her head. It's not time to hallucinate, she thought. She turned her attention back to her father.

"At least I have a heart and didn't just leave them on the streets."

"You could have just went to the pound. They would have already gotten into contact with the owners."

Haruhi blinked. Why hadn't she thought of that? Wait… didn't Mei say something like that on the last day of school?

"Oh… right."

"Wait," Ranka laughed, "you haven't done that yet?"

"N-no," Haruhi stuttered, blood creeping back into her cheeks from embarrassment.

"And I thought you were smarter," Ranka huffed a victory.

"No one ever said that," Haruhi said, making her way into the kitchen as her father and the puppies followed. "You're the adult here, anyways."

Ranka pouted. "Why are you so mean to Daddy, Haruhi?"

"I'm not mean. I'm just practical."

Who knew this commoner could be so witty?Kyoya was thoroughly impressed.

**~Chapter 3 End~**

Hey you guys! So, how was it? Good? Bad? Tell me in a review! Oh, come on, you know you want to! XD

And speaking of reviews, I would like to thank all of those who have reviewed and/or added me to your favorites/alerts! And those people are…

Animala Swan- I'm glad that you like it. Here's that update!

OoO-Ashee-OoO- Heheh, I think he'd be cute as a puppy too. Haha!

divinedragonchick

Shining Sunny

Akatsuki Utaou

And to all the others who have done so but my e-mail is too retarded to tell me so.

So, thank you all! I really appreciate your support! And, please do drop a review! It'd make me really happy!

~xXPaintingRealityXx logging off! :D


	4. Chapter 4

Hey guys, it's me again. I already posted this chapter accidently on my other story for Gakuen Alice, so if you've already read it, oops. But I'll go ahead and post it here now.

Right now, I have to say that I'm going to have to need some comfort. I know that people don't really like to hear a person sob and cry about how 'crappy' their life is, so if you don't want to hear it, just scroll down. I understand. Just start reading.

But for those who are willing to hear my sad, seemingly unimportant to others story, thank you for reading. So, you may not know this, but I have a little sister. She enjoys to talk to her friends on a chat room. So, I decided to sign up for it. The first few days were so fun! I had a great time talking to people. And then, today, just before I sat down to write this, a girl says I'm pissing her off even though I am just talking like I usually would. And, just so you know, I'm a verysensitive girl. So now, as I write this, I stayed off of the chat room and I'm crying silently so that my sister who is sitting behind me while she talks on the chat room doesn't hear me. I feel like crap. So now, I'm all like, am I really that annoying? Does my personality really revolt so many people like that? Do any of my friends feel that way, but just let me hang around so that they don't feel guilty for making me feel bad? Great, now I feel so insecure. I think I'll write this in one of my chapters for Selfless.

So yeah, this is how I feel. Sorry if I bored any of you. And thanks to those who bothered to listen (or rather, read). I really appreciate it. But, now I kind of need some concelation. I don't want to let my sister know that I'm practically crying my eyes out because of the way her 'friend' was acting. And I really don't want to tell any of my family about the incident because they'll make a huge fuss about it. So yeah. If you don't mind, please review. Thanks.

So now that that's over, let's get to the story.

**DISCLAIMER: **I do NOT own Ouran High School Host Club. Also, the original plot does not belong to me. The original plot belongs to ibanana.

**A Stray**

~Chapter 4~

The pound was open. Haruhi sighed in relief. Thank goodness another 'pet store' situation didn't happen. If it were closed, Haruhi would've driven herself into a frustrated fit.

Haruhi 'elegantly' walked into the pound, Tamaki and the black puppy following. She made her way up to the informational desk, the lady giving her a smile when she noticed Haruhi was there.

"Hello," the woman greeted, "How may I help you?"

"Hi, I'm here to ask if anyone has lost their pets," Haruhi replied, picking the two puppies up and showing the woman.

"Oh, no one has come in or called for any…"

"Oh…"

"If you want, I could take them and care for them until the owners come."

Haruhi looked down to the two. They seemed scared; freaked out at the fact that they could easily be taken from her. And she couldn't say no to those cute eyes that they gave her…

"No, it's okay. I'll take care of them. I'll just give you my contact information…?"

"That's fine," the lady answered. "Just write it down on this…"

Haruhi did just as the clerk said, writing down her name, number, and any other contact that may be necessary to reach her.

"And if the owner doesn't come?" Haruhi asked.

The woman turned to her, giving her a smile. "You could keep them, if you like."

Haruhi smiled as well. She liked that idea.

Nodding, Haruhi turned around and walked to the door, making sure that the two puppies were following her. "Come on guys, let's go to the pet shop."

After all, she knew that she couldn't keep feeding the two left overs… right?

Hikaru and Kaoru stretched, their tails flicking behind them. They were used to the fact that they were turned into identical, orange Tabby Kittens a while ago. They were just annoyed that they couldn't find the two most important people their school club (and friendship circle) had: Tamaki Suoh and Kyoya Ootori.

Without them… well, nothing would happen. But Kyoya must have his paws full trying to take care of the spontaneous puppy by himself. Oh great, now they were thinking in animal terms.

"_Mori-senpai,"_ Hikaru and Kaoru mewed, _"has Honey-senpai woken up yet?"_

The Rottweiler shook his head. The two sighed. Even though he was turned into a fuzzy bunny, Honey-senpai still slept in.

And they still needed to find the other two.

"_Why don't we just go back to Ouran?"_ Hikaru asked.

"_Yeah,"_ Kaoru agreed. _"I'm sure Tono and Kyoya can take care of themselves."_

Mori nodded. Using his teeth, he picked Honey up carefully and placed him on his back.

Together, the four of them made their way to Ouran, passing through many commoner streets and made sure to stay out of the peoples' way. But, in front of a pet store, Mori stopped.

Just as the twins were about to comment, Mori motioned towards the window, looking into the building. And what they saw surprised them.

"_Is that,"_ Honey, now awake, asked, _"Tama-chan and Kyo-chan?"_

A bell rang when Haruhi walked into the store. She held the door open for the two puppies trailing after her. She dropped off some found fliers (now with both Tamaki and the new puppy she dubbed Kyo) at the front desk and then led the way to the dog food aisle.

All of a sudden, there was a loud scream and, out of nowhere, a crowd of gigantic (well, not gigantic but full grown) dogs came running down the aisle straight toward Haruhi and the puppies.

As Haruhi tried to dodge the dogs and keep Tamaki and Kyo (Kyoya) safe, a dog pushed her over.

Haruhi let out a yelp as she fell. And she fell down, hitting her head on the metal stands… hard.

Soon, the dogs dispersed. And what Tamaki saw sent chills down his back. Across from him, on the other side of the aisle, Kyoya was unconscious, smushed underneath a bag of puppy food. And just a few paces from him was Haruhi, knocked unconscious and buried underneath a whole rack of things (including the rack).

A group of workers for the pet store came out, running to catch all of the run-away dogs. Tamaki knew that they didn't notice Kyoya or Haruhi yet. And if they were left alone, they could get even more hurt than they already are. So, Tamaki did the only thing that he knew would get their attention. He barked.

And he kept on barking. He didn't stop until some workers came over to them. They gasped. Immediately, they started uncovering Haruhi and Kyoya. Kyoya woke up right when they began unburying him. He had a slight limp in his walk when he stood. But with Haruhi, it was a different story.

She had a whole lot more stuff on top of her. And those racks were much harder to move, seeing as they were just as heavy as her.

And, throughout the whole thing, she didn't even wink an eyelash. She gave no sign that she was living. The only thing that offset it was the fact that she was breathing. And her heart beat that Tamaki was easily able to hear. But still, the fact that she was so still scared him.

One of the employees called the hospital, asking for an ambulance. Another one looked through Haruhi's purse and used her phone to find her father's contact number.

The two arrived at the same time.

Ranka pushed his way to Haruhi as the ambulance workers checked on her well-being.

"She doesn't seem to have any broken bones," the ambulance worker said. "But we should take her in just in case she has a concussion."

Ranka nodded, wiping worried tears off of his cheeks. He, as well as Tamaki and a slightly limping Kyoya followed. They boarded the ambulance, the workers allowing the two puppies on as well. And when they reached the hospital, they got a room for Haruhi and gave Haruhi, who woke up once she was placed in the room, a checkup.

The doctor turned to Ranka, only now noticing the puppies. "U-um…" the doctor regained his composure and took a deep breath. "She has a mild concussion but I think she is fine to go home. She has a few cuts a bruises but they aren't too bad. Just don't make her do anything physically or emotionally draining.

"Alright," Ranka replied. "Thank you, Doctor."

"No problem," he replied. "And stay safe."

The doctor left the room, leaving the father and daughter (with two forgotten puppies) to themselves.

"Haruhi, what happened?" Ranka asked, sitting down next to his daughter.

"I don't know…" Haruhi said. "All I remember is hearing barking and hitting my head.

"Yeah," Ranka sighed, "That's a definite sign of concussions."

"Well…" Haruhi trailed off, sweeping her eyes over the room. Just then, she noticed Kyoya was limping. "What happened to Kyo?"

Kyoya blinked as he found himself being picked up by Haruhi. She began fussing over him and checked his paw. He yelped in pain, jolting away from her touch.

"Oops, sorry," Haruhi whispered. "I didn't mean to hurt you."

Haruhi turned to look at her father. With pleading eyes, she asked, "Can we go home now?"

As soon as they got home, Haruhi ran (or fast walked because she couldn't quite move that fast) to the bathroom cabinet, taking out the first aid kit. Then, she quickly made her way back to the living room, placing Kyoya on her lap so that she could dress his paw.

Tamaki tried not to mind it.

But it was pretty hard. He couldn't ignore that look Kyoya got whenever he looked at Haruhi. It seemed as if he were interested in her too. Instantly, he was jealous. It wasn't fair that Haruhi gave Kyoya so much attention. Tamaki found her first (or she found him first). He deserved her more than Kyoya.

Soon, but not soon enough, Haruhi finished dressing Kyoya's paw and placed him back on the floor.

"You are such an animal lover, Haruhi!" Ranka laughed, sitting on the couch next to her.

"Shut up, Dad."

Ranka laughed as Haruhi grabbed the remote. When she turned it on to the news, they were both surprised. And Tamaki and Kyoya were frozen on the spot, staring at the T.V's screen.

"_Tamaki Suoh, heir of the richest man on Earth, and also heir to the most successful hotel chain in the world and the prestigious Ouran Academy has gone missing earlier this week along with his friends Kyoya Ootori, Mitsukuni Haninozuka, Takeshi Morinozuka, and twins Hikaru and Kaoru Hitachiin,"_ A news reported said, cutting to pictures of all the boys together in their uniforms to Ouran Academy. _"No leads have been found but police continue to search for signs of the group of friends' disappearance. A reward has gone out for each person found being 1 million Yen. If anyone has anything they know regarding these young men, please call the number below."_

The living room was silent for a little. And just when Haruhi thought it would stay that way, Ranka decided to speak up.

"Who knew that such a tragic thing could happen," he said quietly. "All of them disappearing at once? There has to be something wrong with that."

"I hope they're okay," Haruhi mumbled, her eyes never leaving the screen.

For some reason, she couldn't stop looking at the blond boy. Those violet eyes, those beautiful violet eyes look so familiar to her. She doesn't know where she's seen them before. Maybe she saw him sometime in her life? Maybe this past week? And that hair! Oh, it's a shade so familiar to her! But how in the world does she know this?

The news went onto commercial and Haruhi tore her gaze away from the T.V. She swears she saw those guys before…

All of a sudden, a picture of Tamaki, the dog, popped up into her head. His big violet eyes, that golden fur, it was the same shade as Tamaki, the humans'. And when Haruhi just randomly heard a voice that said his name was Tamaki, and how he reacted to the name…

But how in the world could that be possible? He's just a puppy!

She shifted her gaze to Tamaki, now sitting at her feet.

She jumped in surprise and laughed a bit. "You startled me…"

Haruhi sighed. Why was she so jumpy? Why was she thinking that a puppy could be the guy that was on the News? Just because he was missing doesn't mean that he turned into a puppy in some sort of mysterious manner… right?

"Haruhi, dinner's ready!"

Haruhi blinked. She didn't even notice her father get up, let alone start making dinner. It wasn't until then that she could hear the clanking of pots and pans in the kitchen. Sighing, Haruhi stood up and started down the hallway, making her way to her room.

"I'm not hungry," Haruhi said. "Can you feed Tamaki and Kyo for me?"

Ranka poked his head out of the kitchen, staring at his daughter's retreating back. "Sure," he replied. "Are you alright?" He asked, giving her a worried look.

"Yeah. Just tired."

Just as she was about to close the door, Tamaki ran in. Haruhi blinked. Sighing, she shook her head and closed the door. She should just go with it. After all, it's just Tamaki.

Haruhi made her way towards her drawers and took out some white pajama shorts and a purple tank top. She decided that, since she was lazy (and slightly emotionally drained), she would take a shower in the morning.

Tamaki started freaking out when Haruhi started to change. But, of course, he made sure that Haruhi didn't notice. So, just so that he didn't feel like a pervert, he covered his eyes with his paws. He swears if he were human, Haruhi would have given him a million nose bleeds already with all the things she does.

Haruhi finished changing and looked at Tamaki. When she saw his position, she giggled. But, soon, it melted away and she felt, once again, like crap. Her brain was officially mush.

Haruhi flopped onto the bed face first. Only when Tamaki jumped onto the bed and prodded her with his nose did she slip beneath the sheets.

Tamaki crawled underneath the sheets as well, curling up at Haruhi's neck. Haruhi scratched behind Tamaki's ear as she thought. And then, a thought popped into her mind.

"I didn't brush my teeth," she said aloud.

Tamaki wanted to laugh.

Haruhi groaned and rubbed her cheek against the top of Tamaki's head. "Tomorrow," she muttered.

Tamaki knew that if he were human, he would have blushed.

Haruhi fell asleep, slipping into a dream where Tamaki was the human Tamaki. She knew immediately that it wasn't real.

**~Chapter 4 End~**

I hope you all liked it. Please let me know how I did by dropping a review.

And thanks to all those who have reviewed last chapter. I really appreciate it. But, I'm sorry to say that I won't be listing your names down here. I'll just skip that part. I need to go before my sis gets suspicious about the little whimpers I make when I cry. And sorry for raining on the parade. It's just… yeah.

Bye.


	5. Chapter 5

Thanks for all the consolations. They made me happy. So, as a thank you, please enjoy this next chapter of A Stray!

**DISCLAIMER: **I do NOT own Ouran High School Host Club, nor do I own the characters. They belong to Bisco Hatori. And as for the original plot, I also do not own it. It belongs to ibanana.

This is the part where I make a twist in the plot and where I take over the plot. This is also the place where ibanana stopped her story. So, I will change it up a bit and create my own ending. That's all I wanted to do with this story after all: get the ending. My favorite part.

**A Stray**

~Chapter 5~

Hikaru and Kaoru stared in open mouthed shocked. This is where they were staying? They were far better off than Hikaru, Kaoru, Honey, and Mori! And they were bunking with a girl! The twins were absolutely jealous.

Mori sighed. "Let's go to Ouran."

They nodded reluctantly and followed him, Honey riding on Mori's back.

Haruhi woke up to the sun glowing at her eyes. She groaned and opened her eyes, wincing at the brightness of the sun. She noticed that Tamaki wasn't the only puppy on the bed. Ranka must have opened up the door last night and let Kyo in.

She opened her eyes, scoping out her surroundings. Carefully, Haruhi got out of her bed and made sure that she wouldn't wake the slumbering puppies as she grabbed some morning clothes and left her door open as she went to the bathroom. Yeah, last night, when she said that she'd take a shower this morning, she meant it.

Once she was out and dressed, having opened the bathroom door, she was faced with two, eager faced puppies.

"U-uh…" she uttered, not expecting to see them yet. She shook her head and smiled fondly. "I guess you two are hungry."

Making her way to the kitchen, Haruhi tried to figure out what was best to get them (and herself) for breakfast. And when she placed the food bowls for Tamaki and Kyoya down, she sat down to think about what was happening to those missing heirs to famous companies.

"What happened to them?" she muttered softly.

Four members of the Ouran High School Host Club stealthily made their way through the elaborate halls of the prestigious Ouran Academy. If they were caught, they knew immediately that they would be thrown into a pound or someplace that would be a living hell for them.

And in order to succeed in getting back to normal is finding one of either two people on their scope of the halls: Renge or Nekozawa. It would make everything easier if they were finding them. If the humans were looking for the 'used-to-and-should-be' humans, then the whole thing would be so much more easier.

"_We're almost there,"_ Mori said, urging the group on. _"We shouldn't be too long now."_

"_That's the longest thing you've said so far,"_ Hikaru and Kaoru mewed.

Mori fought the urge to roll his eyes.

"Oh my gosh, we've been looking everywhere for you guys!"

The four of them turned around to see Renge, in her uniform, running down the hall to them.

As they cheered and whooped (all Renge could hear were mews and barks), Renge kneeled down in front of them, picking up the twins. When she got a better look at all of them, an important piece of information floated its way into her mind.

"Where's Tamaki-senpai and Kyoya-senpai?" She asked, even though she knew what they would say.

She knew they were fine by the look on their animal faces.

She led the way down the hall and into the 3rd music room, opening the door up to shady darkness.

"I see you've found them," a creepy voice pointed out, coming from a cloaked figure.

"Yeah, I found them in the hallway. I think they were looking for us!" Renge answered.

Hikaru, Kaoru, and Honey started making a fuss that the group of humans could only think of as a question of 'how-the-hell-do-we-get-back-to-normal'.

"It won't be long until you turn back to normal," Nekozawa said. "I just used a little spell that would turn you all into furry house pets for a certain amount of time."

"But why?" Renge asked for the pets, actually interested in the reason.

"Why, they stepped on my precious Belzenef as they were serving their little 'customers'" Nekozawa said, patting said pupped placed on his hand.

'_Wait,'_ Kaoru mewed.

'_So that means, Kyoya and Tono will…"_ Hikaru trailed off.

'_Yeah,' _Mori nodded quietly.

'_I can't wait to see what happens,'_ Honey twitched his nose, sweat dropping.

'_Now that will be awkward,'_ Hikaru and Kaoru meowed.

Tamaki sneezed. Sniffling, he had the feeling that someone was talking about him and Kyoya somewhere out there in the vast world. He shook his tiny, furry head. It was probably the others from the Host Club.

Before he knew it, Haruhi was in front of him, scooping him up into her arms.

"Are you okay?" Haruhi cooed, examining Tamaki in a way he thought was utterly adorable. "Don't tell me that you're catching a cold!"

Tamaki yipped happily, and, for the first time in his little doggie life, gave Haruhi a kiss on the cheek.

Haruhi giggled in delight. "You're too cute!" she gushed.

Haruhi had been thinking that for a while, but she hadn't been voiced it out. It's just that when Tamaki made that cute little face of his, she couldn't hold back the little fan girl within her. What? No girl could resist that cute puppy face!

And that face Tamaki made after she voiced her thoughts was priceless! It was so adorable to her, she couldn't stop herself from hugging the little puppy to her chest and smothering him in little kisses.

"I hope your owner never comes!" Haruhi giggled.

And it is safe to say that Tamaki was in heaven itself.

At Haruhi's feet, Kyoya let out a small whimper. He felt left out. And he sort of liked Haruhi too… not that he'd say it. He didn't like her the way Tamaki did, no. He just thought of her as interesting and liked how Haruhi would always treat him and Tamaki the same (most of the time), showering the both of them in affection… her own type of affection.

Haruhi smiled and got down onto her knees, sitting on her heals as she patted Kyoya on the head.

"You too, Kyo," she grinned. "It's fun to have you around too."

"Oh, Haruhi!" Ranka burst into the door.

"Dad," she greeted, standing up. "I thought you went to work…?"

"Yes, but they let me off early!" he replied, skipping in.

"Cool," Haruhi smiled as her father giddily ran around the apartment, getting into more comfortable (and manly) clothes.

"We should go to the park!" Ranka suggested as he burst out of his room with a pair of pants and a shirt that said 'father' on.

"Are you sure you don't want to rest up today?" Haruhi questioned.

"What better way to spend a day off than with your family?" Ranka grinned brightly.

Haruhi returned the grin. "Good point."

"Now let's go!" Ranka cheered. "And don't forget to bring some snacks for Tamaki, Kyo, and us."

"Right," Haruhi chuckled.

Soon, the four of them were out the door and headed down the street. Ranka and Haruhi laughed as Tamaki and Kyoya ran around their feet. Well, Tamaki ran around their feet. Kyoya just walked next to Haruhi in a civilized manner.

"I swear that Kyo and Tamaki were humans in their past life with the way they act!" Ranka joked, laughing.

"I think you're right," Haruhi humored him.

Tamaki barked. _'It's absolutely true! We are actually supposed to be human in this life! Some crazy mishap happend that turned us this way!' _It didn't surprise him that the only one who could understand him was Kyoya.

Soon, they entered the park. It was actually pretty empty for the weekend. There were some families playing here and there, a few couples dotted around the place. In other words, it was the perfect time for the Fujioka's to play.

Out of nowhere, Ranka grabbed a ball and threw it down the field yelling, "fetch!"

Tamaki tore down the field as Kyoya just sat at Haruhi and Ranka's feet. Haruhi burst out laughing at the difference between the two puppies. She found it so ironic how the two got along so great. They were complete opposites and they complimented each other so well. It was also kind of a funny sight now Tamaki ran as fast as he could with his tongue flopping out of his muzzle.

She fell over her from the volume and strength of her laughter, Ranka soon joining in because of her contagious laugh. Soon, they were both splayed on the grass with the puppies joining in on the fun and tickling Haruhi with their paws.

"They seem to like you a lot, Haruhi," Ranka said, smiling fondly at the sight of his daughter playing (more like being attacked by) her puppies.

Haruhi caught her breath and sat up, petting the two now hyper puppies. Yes, even Kyoya was hyper. It sort of surprised Haruhi and Ranka. But, since Kyoya was a very unpredictable puppy, they decided to go with it.

"Yeah," Haruhi replied, a small laugh in her voice. "I guess they are."

They got home after a few hours, exhausted, yet happy from all the time they had bonding together. To be honest, that was some of the most fun Tamaki and Kyoya had ever had in a long time.

"I'll get a start on dinner," Haruhi said, making her way into the kitchen after taking off her shoes. "What do you suggest?"

"Curry!" Ranka cheered like a child, laughing and running all about.

Haruhi laughed at her father's childish gestures. "Sure. Curry it is."

Tamaki and Kyoya sat at the door of the dining room as Haruhi made the meal. They didn't want to get in the way of the young girl and trip her up while she was in the kitchen. She could get seriously hurt that way.

"Dinner's ready!" Haruhi called when she finally finished.

She placed a portion for each puppy on the ground in their special bowls before sitting down to eat herself. Ranka plopped into his seat as well before chowing down.

"Mmm, Haruhi, your cooking is as great as ever!" Ranka praised, licking his lips.

"I'm glad you like it," Haruhi said, smiling fondly at her plate. "I used Mom's recipe."

It got quite. Tamaki and Kyoya exchanged questioning looks. It never really came up, but Tamaki couldn't say that he never wondered where or what happened to Haruhi's mother.

And then, it hit him. There was a shrine made in the living room. There was a picture of a lady that bore a strong resemblance to Haruhi. That must have been her mother. Her mother is… she's dead.

Tamaki immediately felt horrible. He knew what Haruhi was feeling. He hadn't seen his mother since he was fourteen. But the situation was still very different as well. Her mother is dead. She knows that. As for Tamaki, his mother is alive and (now) healthy. And he knows that she's safe with her family on her side.

Tamaki doesn't know how horrible it would feel to have someone he loves so much to die and leave him for so long like that. He thought that if that ever happened to him, he didn't know if he'd be able to smile again. To him, Haruhi was a really strong girl.

Tamaki watched the two eat in silence, finishing their food. And once it was all eaten, they cleared the table in silence, making silent agreements that Haruhi would put away all the things on the table while Ranka would do the dishes. Kyoya and Tamaki watched with sad eyes.

When Ranka finished doing the dishes, he turned to see his daughter staring down at the table's hard surface, eyes far away. He walked carefully up to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. When Haruhi looked up at her father, he gave her an encouraging smile. And with that, he made his way to the entrance of the dining room.

"Good night, Haruhi," Ranka said, pausing at the doorway.

Haruhi returned his gesture with a smile. "G'night, Dad."

She heard the door to her father's room slide shut as she stood there for a bit longer, eyes now on the window above the sink. She sighed and headed for the light switch. Carefully, she maneuvered in the dark until she reached her room and flicked that light switch on.

Haruhi made sure that Tamaki and Kyoya were in her room before she too closed the door. Immediately, she changed for bed and slipped beneath the covers, snuggling in with Tamaki and Kyoya on either side of her.

Haruhi sighed. If her mother were still here, she was sure that she'd have just as much fun with Tamaki and Kyo just as she and her father did.

**~Chapter 5 End~**

OoO-Ashee-OoO- I thank you for such kind words. They made me feel warm in my heart and soul. Thank you. :)

Mizuki Shin- Yeah, now I'm good, thank you. It makes me feel much better to know that there are people out there that care even if my actions are a bit dramatic. Thanks. :)

DestinyAurora

Thanks so much to everyone. You make me feel better; much better. :)

Please review!

~xXPaintingRealityXx logging off! :)


	6. Chapter 6

**DISCLAIMER:** I do NOT own OHSHC nor do I own the characters. They belong to Bisco Hatori. The original plot for this story belongs to ibanana.

**A Stray**

**~Chapter 6~**

Haruhi woke to the touch of sunlight illuminating her skin, warming her instantly. For some odd reason, she felt the bed was much comfier than any other time before when she had rested upon it. She didn't know why…

But she liked it.

She sighed and cuddled into what she believed was a big, warm pillow. Yeah, this was nice. A small smile crept onto her lips as she wrapped her arms around it. But… the texture of the pillow… it was all wrong. It was as if there was skin there. Her eyebrows furrowed as she felt arm-like limbs wrap around her waist and something on the bed somewhere near her move. This is odd; dream or not.

Her eyes slipped open and the sight before her made her freeze in panic. She was hugging a guy. And not just any guy, he was on the news! That one… heir to the Suoh industries or whatever that was! His eyes were closed as he let out a satisfied sigh. What the heck?

Just as she thought she was calm enough to wake the boy up, there was a shift on the bed. She knew that neither she nor the guy she was hugging moved. So, turning her head so that she would be able to see behind her, she saw another guy, probably the same age as the Suoh dude, facing her as he slept peacefully.

He was the friend of Suoh. He was on the News too. And since he wasn't pressed up against her, Haruhi noticed something very… vital:

He was completely naked.

Slightly panicking, Haruhi turned to face the boy her arms were wrapped around, noticing for the first time that the torso of this guy was bare as well. She gulped. She could only suspect that there was nothing on him underneath the sheets.

From the feeling she was getting, she knew she was fully dressed. And she knew that she had no memories of the two of them being here when she fell asleep; just Tamaki… and Kyo…

Shifting so she'd have a better look, Haruhi let her eyes scan the room for her beloved 'pets'- more like friends. They weren't anywhere in sight!

Okay, now Haruhi was freaking out. She's having a panic attack! She's going completely bonkers! How the hell did these guys get in here without waking neither her nor her father up? Why the heck are they naked? And where were her puppies?

Haruhi didn't know what to do. Should she wait until they wake up? No, that might take too long… So what? She was completely stumped. She tried to get out of the boy's grip, maybe even wake him up. But the only thing that he did was get a firmer grip around her waist. Haruhi huffed an impatient, panicked breath. A scream was crawling up her throat. If she didn't get away from them now, she would definitely have a panic over-load. Seriously, why won't he let her go?

Finally, she couldn't take it any longer. All of these unanswered questions and worked up emotions reigned supreme in her mind. She did the only thing she could do:

She screamed.

Hikaru and Kaoru Hitachiin stretched, looking around at their surroundings of the 3rd Music Room. This used to be their room for their club: the Host Club. But, now that they were turned into an- wait a minute…

The two looked at each other and gasped. Instead of two furry little kittens, there were the faces of humans. It was… their faces.

The both of them gasped and cheered in delight, jumping up and hugging each other. It was then that the both of the noticed the other, quite awkward, situation. Both were completely nude. They blushed, although they already suspected this (and they were twins-brothers in fact. They've already seen all this) and jumped quite dramatically from each other.

"Oh, how embarrassing!" Kaoru cried, placing his pointer finger on his bottom lip. "I can't believe it…"

"Believe what, Kaoru?" Hikaru asked, playing along with his brother.

"We're…."

Hikaru's expression visibly darkened. "You're saying you don't like what you see?" He asked as he pulled his younger brother into a loose hug.

"N-no, Hikaru, it's not that!" Kaoru panicked. "I-"

"Shh," Hikaru purred. "It's alright. I understand."

"Oh, Hikaru," Kaoru smiled lovingly up at his brother.

"Oh, Kaoru…"

"That's enough," a monotone voice said as the door opened, revealing a fully dressed Mori and a fully dressed Honey. "We have a problem."

"What is it?" The twins asked as they slipped on the clothes the elder two threw at them.

"It's Tamaki and Kyoya," Honey said, leading a blindfolded Renge into the room. "They're still at that girl's house. And since we've changed back, they should have too."

"And the fact that they are totally naked…" Mori trailed off.

The twins shrugged and grinned as they finished buttoning up their uniform's blazer. "We'll just have to hope and pray for their safety. After all, you never know what commoners may do in that situation! They might get pretty beaten!" They started laughing.

"Hm," Mori hummed.

"I hope Tama-chan and Kyo-chan are alright…" Honey whimpered.

Tamaki's eyes fluttered open after hearing the scream emanating from the one next to him: Haruhi.

Something was wrong, he could already feel it. He felt… bigger, stronger… more …. Human? What the…

His eyes fluttered open as he sat up and held whatever that was that he was hugging closer to his chest.

"What's going on?" he yelled, sounding a bit sleepy as he looked around to inspect the room he was in.

…Wait… he yelled?

Tamaki heard a frightened peep coming out of the object he was hugging and he looked down with a gasp. There, in his arms, was a completely disgruntled looking Haruhi, a bit of surprise in her confused and frightened frame, eyes completely wide.

Tamaki lifted up his hand off of Haruhi's waist and turned it around in front of him as if it were some alien from outter space.

"I have a hand," he muttered in disbelief.

"What the hell are you talking about, Tamaki?" Kyoya sat up, rubbing his eyes with his glasses (where did they come from, again?) in his hand.

"T-tamaki?" Haruhi squeeked.

Said boy, and the other one, looked down at the frightened girl with wide eyes. Then at each other; then back again. The only thing they could possibly think of was this: _'shit…'_

"Wait, how did you get in here?" Haruhi rushed out of her lips, speaking with a shaky voice. "Why are you in here?"

"Haruhi, we-" Tamaki was cut off.

"How do you know my name?" Haruhi practically yelled as she jumped off of the bed to get away from the two teenage boys.

Tamaki started getting up, taking the blanket off of him as he said, "Haruhi, wait, please list-"

Haruhi squeaked a bit as she turned a bright red and backed up until her back was to her door, covering her eyes with her hands cutely. "A-and why are y-you naked?"

Tamaki looked down at himself and lo-and-behold, he found himself in the same predicament that she had mentioned. Not to mention it, but Kyoya was as well.

Tamaki turned a bright red as he made to cover himself up again with the blanket. And when he did, he looked back up at Haruhi with a slight blush still coating his cheeks. "May I borrow something to wear? Kyo too, please," Tamaki asked shyly.

Hesitantly, Haruhi peeked through her fingers. She sighed with relief when she found it was safe, though her blush didn't lessen any shade. "Y-yeah… stay right here, o-okay?"

And with that, Haruhi slipped out of her room and into the hallway.

"Haruhi, are you okay?" Haruhi jumped when she heard Ranka's voice coming from the kitchen.

"Y-yeah, I'm fine," she answered. She knew if she told her father what had really happened, things would just get a lot worse.

"Alright. I'm going to be leaving soon, so make sure to stay safe," Ranka said.

"Yes, Dad," she said as she snuck into his room, grabbing a couple of sweats, underwear (though it was quite embarrassing) and shirts.

She slipped out and closed the door, heading towards into her room just in time. "I'll be in my room if you need me," she said, closing the door behind her.

Once it was carefully done, she sighed thankfully, literally sliding all the way to the floor and into the fetal position as she closed her eyes. And then, remembering why all this was happening, she opened her eyes and looked at the two teenage boys occupying her bed.

And they were looking straight back at her.

Gulping, she stood up and headed towards the two, handing the bundle of clothes somewhat awkwardly to the blond haired one. "Here. Now… get changed."

Haruhi went back to the door, sat with her back to it, and covered her eyes, legs spread out as she tried to tune out the shuffling of clothes against skin. Oh, how awkward can this get?

Tamaki got onto his hands and knees after he finished dressing. Slowly and quietly, he crawled in between Haruhi's legs and stared her in the face. Kyoya just watched in amusement.

"Haruhi-"

After hearing his voice right in front of her, she jumped, giving out a little scream. He hands flew from her eyes and said things fluttered open. She stared at him, wide eyed, as he got over his surprise and gave her a calm and sheepish smile.

"Please, don't be afraid," Tamaki said, noticing Haruhi's frightened look. "It's me! Don't you recognize me?"

"Y-you're that one guy that has gone missing… something Suoh," Haruhi stuttered, giving Tamaki a questioning look.

"No- well, yes, but- that's not what I meant!" Tamaki stuttered, getting more agitated by the second. "It's me, Tamaki! I'm that little puppy from all these weeks! And that is Kyo!" Tamaki said, pointing towards Kyoya. "His real name is Kyoya, but it doesn't really matter. It's really us Haruhi!"

Haruhi blinked once. Twice. Thrice. "How in the world are you two supposed to be those little puppies that I found weeks ago?"

"Please, believe me!" Tamaki begged when Haruhi looked at the two as if they were crazy. He leaned his face in closer to Haruhi's. "Please, Haruhi! Ask us any question, or at least just me, from the first time you picked that little golden retriever up off of the streets with the same violet eyes as me!"

Haruhi wondered just how he could say all that in one sentence. And then, she took his request into meaning.

"What was I doing when I found you?" she asked.

"You were going back to your apartment from grocery shopping and I was following you like an awkward pup."

Haruhi raised her brow at his response but shook the weirdness away. "What was my friend's name? The one that helped me up after his team hit me in the head with a baseball."

"Arai. You know, I still don't like him," Tamaki uttered.

Hmm, impressive, Haruhi thought. "What's my Dad's name?"

"He likes to be called Ranka but his real name is Ryouji Fujioka and he's a transvestite who works in a gay bar to support the two of you for a living!" Tamaki said, breathing only when his sentence was finished.

"And where's my mother?"

"She passed away when you were very young and you've been taking care of the apartment ever since, taking on the responsibility all by yourself as your father works," Tamaki said quietly, knowing the two of them were going into pretty sensitive business.

"…What was her name?"

Tamaki looked deep into Haruhi's eyes and gave her a sad, comforting smile. "You never told us."

He watched as Haruhi looked down at the ground… or maybe his hands. He couldn't tell.

It was quiet before Haruhi lifted her eyes to meet 'Tamaki'-s. And what she saw surprised her: the same eyes as her puppy. They looked exactly the same. And they were so bright and full of concern and they were absolutely beautiful, at least to her.

A small smile adorned her lips. "Her name was Kotoko."

Tamaki blinked in surprise. "Kotoko?"

"Yeah," Haruhi replied. "And she was the best mother ever."

"What she means is she believes us, Tamaki," Kyoya finally said, deciding now was the best time to place his input on the situation.

Tamaki laid his eyes on Haruhi and looked at her with wide, hopeful eyes. "Really?"

With the way he was looking at her, she knew immediately that this really was her Tamaki. "Yeah. I believe you."

Tamaki threw his arms around Haruhi in a happy, ecstatic hug. "Yay! She believes us, Kyoya! Can you believe it?"

"Actually," Haruhi started, her words muffled from Tamaki's hug, "at first, I thought you were crazy and had just escaped from the loony bin."

All of a sudden, Haruhi's arms were empty (because she was returning the hug after all) and Tamaki was in the corner, his knees pressed against his chest.

"And there he goes again," Kyoya muttered, annoyed. "Shall we just laze about all day, or are we going to do something about our predicament?"

Haruhi sighed and stood up. Quite awkwardly, Haruhi got up and made her way towards Tamaki, hesitantly tapping him on the shoulder.

Tamaki looked up, teary eyed.

"Hey, we should talk," Haruhi said softly, "like what Kyo… Kyoya said."

Tamaki sniffed. "I-I guess you're right."

Haruhi stood up straight and made her way to the door, confirming that her father wasn't home. "Come on, guys. I'll go make us some breakfast and tea. Then we can talk."

**~Chapter 6 End~**


	7. Chapter 7

**DISCLAIMER: **I do NOT own OHSHC nor do I own its characters. The only one who owns it is Bisco Hatori. I also do not own the original plot line for the original story 'A Stray'. It belongs to ibanana.

**A Stray**

**~Chapter 7~**

Haruhi blinked. She didn't know if what they said should make sense or not. Is dark magic really true? Can people really be turned into cute little animals? And is there really a person out there that could do all that stuff?

Well, she found she'd meet said guy when she enters Ouran Academy next school year. The two teens appeared to be attending said school. They're a year older than her and said that they knew a couple more guys, all in their little 'Host Club', who were also turned into cuddly house pets. Who knew?

"So, what now?" Haruhi asked after taking a sip of her tea.

"Well," Kyoya started, pushing up his glasses up the bridge of his nose, "I was thinking that Tamaki and I should report to our family and friends to let them know that we are doing fine."

"Yeah, that would be for the best," Haruhi agreed.

"But I don't wanna leave Haruhi! Mama-"

"'Mama'?" Haruhi repeated.

"-we can't just leave Haruhi!" Tamaki kept going as if Haruhi hadn't interrupted.

"Well we can't just stay here and further worry our parents now, can we?" Kyoya questioned.

"No," Tamaki sighed. "But we can't just leave without repaying her!"

"I know," Kyoya said, "that's why I already have something devised."

"Yay!" Tamaki cheered.

"N-no, you don't have to go through so much trouble…" Haruhi stuttered.

"It's not a problem. After all, you took the two of us in and cared for us," Kyoya said. "We owe you and we are thankful. We want to show you that."

"W-well, I-"

"And there is nothing you can do to stop us," Kyoya smirked. "So, accept our thanks with grace, my dear."

Haruhi sighed. "Just don't do anything too eccentric."

"Don't worry," Kyoya said, "I'll keep an eye on him," Kyoya gestured towards Tamaki.

"I'm right here and can hear everything you're saying, you know!" Tamaki growled.

Haruhi giggled. "I always thought the two of you were great friends."

Kyoya raised an eyebrow. "What makes you think that?"

"Well, just look at the two of you," Haruhi said. "You complement each other so greatly. And although you two are very different, you're quite the same… you get what I mean?"

"That's quite interesting," Kyoya said. "I guess you're right."

"Why am I the only one who's out of the conversation?" Tamaki whimpered. "I barely got a say in anything this whole time!"

"Well, in the first conversation, you were the only one to speak," Kyoya huffed. "Now quit complaining, you big baby."

"Waaah! Haruhi! Kyoya's being a meanie!" Tamaki cried, throwing himself into Haruhi with a big hug.

Haruhi sighed. "He's just like this. Shouldn't you be used to it by now? You two are best friends, aren't you?"

"Yeah," Tamaki sniffed, giving Haruhi his puppy eyes look.

"Don't do that," Haruhi said. "That's a weapon you should not abuse."

Tamaki sniffed. "Yes Haruhi."

Haruhi stifled a laugh.

"What?" Tamaki asked, standing up straight again and sitting in the seat next to Haruhi instead.

"No wonder you were turned into a golden retriever," Haruhi giggled. "You're loyal, sweet, and honest."

Tamaki blushed.

"Don't forget a pain in the arse," Kyoya said.

"Yeah, that too," Haruhi laughed. "Playful and a pain in the butt!"

"Hey!"

Haruhi laughed again. "Don't worry, we're just messing with you."

"Not me," Kyoya muttered, smirking slightly.

"Waaaah! Haruhi!" Tamaki cried as he flung his arms around her tiny body once more.

When Haruhi got a bit annoyed at the overly emotional state of Tamaki, she slipped out of his arms and made her way to the living room after clearing off the table of their breakfast. The two boys followed her and when she clicked on the T.V, they were face to face with the news reporter.

"_-found that four of the six young heirs who have gone missing have been found and returned to their families and friends," _a news-lady said, a picture of six handsome young men appearing on the top right corner of the screen. _"They were found this morning by a class mate of theirs in their club room. The four young men claim they know exactly where their other two friends, who still haven't been found, are residing and that there should be no worry. They claim that they are in great hands. Let's cut to a clip of an earlier filmed interview with Hikaru and Kaoru Hitachiin, twins who have gone missing for a while."_

"_They're in great hands,"_ the two said together, _"we know it! The girl they were with seemed sweet and gentle. There is nothing that anyone should worry about."_

"_Well,"_ one of them said.

"_Unless they decide,"_ the other started.

"_That they don't want to leave her!" _They finished together, laughing heartily.

The camera cut back to the anchors, showing her oh-so-serious face. _"Authorities are out looking for said 'young lady' and the parents of the two young men are trying to find their sons, forever thankful that they are safe."_

The trio looked at the T.V in surprise, the news sinking into their brains as the anchors droned on about other, un-useful news to them.

"So, they changed back too, huh?" Tamaki uttered.

Kyoya straightened up and pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "Of course. What did you think? That they'd stay animals forever as we get to live our lives as humans once more?"

"N-no, I-"

"We'd better get you two to Ouran Academy," Haruhi said. "That's most likely where everyone you know is right now, right? They must be very worried about the two of you."

"You're right," Tamaki sighed.

"Would you like to have more… suitable clothing to go out or would you like to just walk around in sweats all day?" Haruhi asked as she headed down the hallway for the rooms.

"Clothes, please," Kyoya and Tamaki chorused, following Haruhi down the hallway.

Haruhi didn't know why she was dressed this way. She'd rather be wearing her loose, baggy shorts and shirt instead of this. But, Tamaki and Kyoya insisted that they dress her up so she just went along with it. After all, when Kyoya pulled the 'rich and famous' card, she didn't want to anger them. They might just sue her for everything she didn't have!

They had dug through her closet after getting some nice suits that they promised to give back later and picked out a purple dress that her father had gotten her for her birthday. It was long sleeved and V-necked. There was a bow tied in the back that wrapped all the way around her waist and the skirt was ruffled and flowing. The skirt ended mid-thigh and Tamaki begged her to wear some black ballet flats.

So, here she was, walking down the street in between the two men she had unknowingly saved and trying not to feel awkward. These guys were the center of attention. And, to her displeasure, she was the center of attention as well. Everyone kept on whispering about the three as they walked down the street. And soon enough, the news broadcasters were at their heels, reporting to the camera and millions of viewers watching news right then. They kept sending questions to them but they just sent smiles of apologies and didn't say a word.

Soon enough, they were in front of Ouran Academy, students already flocking towards the gates and greeting the three of them. Most of them dismissed Haruhi's presence. But the more friendlier ones decided to give her greetings and thanks for being able to take care of the two heirs.

All in all, everyone knew that the last two members of the host club, plus one girl, had arrived and no one was missing anymore.

The last people to get to the front and greet the trio was the Host Club itself and their families.

"Tamaki!" Two identical voices called as said guy was knocked over in a bone crushing hug.

"H-hey!" Tamaki replied. "We're here!"

"Now, tell me how you knew where we were?" Kyoya asked.

"We saw you!" Honey said, riding on Mori's shoulders.

Then, Hikaru, Kaoru, Honey, and Mori's attentions were turned to the girl accompanying them.

"So what's this young lady's name?" the twins asked, leaning their faces in really close to hers.

"H-Haruhi Fujioka," Haruhi said, leaning back just as they leaned towards her.

"Get away from her!" Tamaki said, pulling Haruhi into a protective hug. "I don't want you two devils to corrupt her!"

"Aww, come on, Tono!" They chorused. "We won't do anything to her!"

"Thank you for helping Tama-chan and Kyo-chan!" Honey said, giving Haruhi a sweet smile she couldn't help but return.

"It was no problem, really," Haruhi replied.

"Thank you very much for taking care of our sons," an older man said, making his way along with another man towards the group. "We are in your debt. If you hadn't cared for them, we might not be seeing them today."

"No, really, it was nothing," Haruhi said, waving her hands in front of her chest.

"We will do anything to thank you!" The other man said, both of them bowing to her.

"No, it's okay. I don't need anything."

"Wait, aren't you the scholarship student we were supposed to have this year?"

Haruhi nodded to the blond man.

"Well then, it's settled." He said.

"Wait, what's-"

"I am going to give you the uniform and all things you will need for this school for free. No need for you to pay anything." The man said. "I am Suoh, the owner of this school and father to Tamaki here."

"U-uh… nice to meet you," Haruhi said.

"So, you are applied for free and you are to be taken care of as long as you wish to study at this academy! Please, feel free to ask for anything; anything at all!" Suoh said.

"A-ah, that's alright," Haruhi said.

"Please, Dad, you're overwhelming her," Tamaki said, flinging and arm around her shoulder.

"Oh, yes, I must be. I'm very sorry young lady," Suoh said.

"Oh, no it's fine!" Haruhi replied, giggling breathlessly.

"Please, Tamaki, we have to get you home. We have a whole lot to do with you having disappeared and all. Everyone is so worried for you!" Suoh said.

"Before I go," Tamaki started, "Can I take Haruhi back home? It's the least I could do…"

"Of course. Be back soon, alright?"

"Yes father."

With that, Tamaki wrapped an arm around Haruhi's waist and started towards the Fujioka apartment.

Haruhi tried to make it look that she didn't feel the least bit surprised (or awkward) about the two of them walking out of the prestigious academy with his arm slung around her shoulders. But inside, she felt like she was going to explode with panic. Once they were a safe distance away from the academy (just so that they couldn't see them and vice-versa), Tamaki sighed and slipped his arm off of her and grasped her hand instead.

"S-so," Haruhi stuttered, a little surprised at Tamaki's advances, "w-what's up?"

"I really hope we can be friends," Tamaki said, looking Haruhi deep in the eye before he led the two across the street.

Haruhi blinked. She wasn't suspecting that. "U-uh, okay."

"Really?" Tamaki stopped the two of them, holding both of Haruhi's hands in his and looking at her with hopeful, sparkly eyes.

Haruhi sweat dropped. "Yeah. Why not?"

Tamaki squealed with joy and pulled Haruhi into a warm embrace. "I can't wait to learn with you, Haruhi!"

Haruhi couldn't fight the smile that spread itself on her face. She wrapped her arms warmly around Tamaki as well and whispered, "Me either."

**~End~**


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